Software tool for creating an interactive graphic organizer

ABSTRACT

The interactive software tool develops and enhances learning strategies and skills of a user in a computer based learning environment (web or local host). The interactive software tool is embedded in a content page. The software tool provides a scheme for a user to enter, into graphical shapes, realistic and organized information; the user can dynamically increase the number of graphical shapes. The software tool instructs the user to select actions to increase the number of shapes and to what to enter in each shape. The interactive software tool includes functions that allow it to work on its own or integrated to larger educational software.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a computer based learning environment(web or local host). More particularly, the present invention relates toan interactive software tool for developing and enhancing learningstrategies and skills of a user in a computer based learning environment(web or local host).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Studies conducted into education show that practitioner's emphasis arecentred on WHAT is to be learnt rather than on HOW or WHAT FOR; thisreflects that the prevailing educational model is centred on teachinginstead of being centred on learning. These practices permeate todistant education assisted with information and communicationtechnologies (ICT's); in particular the teaching centred model haspermeated e-learning. Essentially, the teaching model is centred, almostexclusively, in presenting either educational contents or methodologicalresources for the practice of what has been learnt (case studies,projects, simulations and others). That is; the teaching model trains oncontents and intents to evaluate on capability and assigns a passiverole to the learner. The more recent capability articulation trains onthe content trilogy: conceptual, procedural and attitudinal; however,this approach persists in the indifference towards the development ofnew cognitive skills for continuous learning.

In contrast, the approach that centres upon the development of newcognitive skills for continuous learning is deep learning. Learning isdeep when fresh contents are associated with what the learner alreadyknows. The association is substantial and not by chance, that is, newideas are related with an existent relevant aspect of the learner'scognitive structure such as an image, a symbol, a concept or apreposition. There is deep learning when meaning is given to thematerials being learnt.

An important contribution to deep learning comes from the graphicorganizers, which are particularly useful for learners to relateprevious with new knowledge. The purpose of the graphic organizers is tokeep the learner's attention on the relevant elements as well as tostand out the ideas presented and to evoke already known information.

Learning strategies are defined as consciously selected specific actionsto learn contents. The strategies are grouped according to learningprocesses. For example, awareness on previous knowledge, attentionkeeping, organization, synthesis and association making are all learningprocesses that have learning strategies for their improvement. Theselection of adequate learning strategies in a learning process, as wellas their iterative and systematic use, develops a cognitive automationthat improves the learning levels.

The relevance of using visual schemes is that it allows the learner todiscover and design patterns, relationships, interdependences and todevelop creative thinking. For example a diagram of differences andsimilarities provides the learner with a visual learning strategy tocarry out comparisons that include the schematization of common anddiffering elements. More generally, the combination of linguistic(words, phrases) and non linguistic elements (symbols, shapes, arrows)to represent relationships are known as graphic organizers. Thesedevelop and enhance understanding and skills to use knowledge. Graphicorganizers are a powerful and effective tool to develop and enhancelearning capabilities and skills and act as mediators between learnersand their learning experiences.

In brief, graphic organizers assist in the formative process as amethodological resource to strategically work the deep learning.

U.S. Patent Documents

Number Date Inventors 5,287,514 Feb. 15, 1994 Gram 5,760,768 Jun. 2,1998 Gram 5,836,304 Nov. 17, 1998 Kellinger, et al. 5,947,747 Sep. 7,1999 Walker, et al. 5,957,699 Sep. 28, 1999 Peterson, et al. 5,957,699Sep. 28, 1999 Peterson, et al. 6,175,841 Jan. 16, 2001 Loiacono6,296,487 Oct. 2, 2001 Lotecka 6,347,943 Feb. 19, 2002 Fields, et al.6,435,880 Aug. 20, 2002 Tsumori, et al. 6,466,239 Oct. 15, 2002 Ishikawa

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an interactive software application fordeveloping and enhancing learning strategies and skills of a user in acomputer based learning environment (web or local host). According to anillustrative embodiment, the present invention provides an interactivesoftware tool embedded in a computer based learning environment (web orlocal host). The software tool provides a number of facilities topractice a determined learning capability or skill. A large number ofinteractive graphic organizers can be displayed according to the kind ofshapes and associations between shapes. FIG. 1 is an illustration ofsuch graphic organizers and FIG. 2 is an example of thirty otherpossible graphic organizers. There are numerous other graphicorganizers.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method isprovided for use in an electronic device that offers an on-lineeducational course or other computer based educational course, whereinthe software tool provides a dynamic and interactive graphic to fill inwith meaningful text. The completed interactive graphic organizer may beforwarded or saved for assessment.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method isprovided for use in an electronic device that provides an on-line orother computer based educational course, including the steps to use atool bar that contains embedded actions including instructions to a userto operate the interactive graphic organizer; these give the interactivequality to the graphic organizer; hence Interactive Graphic Organizer(IGO).

A further embodiment of the invention involves a computer-readablemedium for use in an electronic device that provides an on-line or othercomputer based educational course, including instructions for addingshapes and connectors, wherein the user can decide the number of shapesin the interactive graphic organizer.

Another embodiment of the invention provides an electronic device forproviding an on-line or other computer based educational courseincluding a processor, a display screen and memory including a Web pagehaving an interactive software tool embedded therein. The processorexecutes the software tool to generate an interactive graphical userinterface on the display screen, the graphical user interface displayingshapes and connectors associated to a specific basic learning capabilityor skill.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following description and theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to thesame parts throughout the different views. The drawings illustrateprinciples of the invention and, although not to scale, show relativedimensions.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a distributed environment suitable forimplementing an on-line educational course and running the interactivegraphic organizer software tool of an illustrative embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a client personal computer suitable for usein the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 a illustrates a Web page including the interactive software toolof the illustrative embodiment. FIG. 5 b illustrates the interactivegraphic organizer as displayed in a Web page.

FIG. 6 illustrates some of the tool tips available within theinteractive graphic organizer.

FIG. 7 illustrates the interactive software tool when a user fills in acorrect diagram as showed by the software tool.

FIG. 8 illustrates the interactive software tool after the user hasincorrectly filled it in.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the steps involved in creating aninteractive software tool according to an illustrative embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 through 9 illustrate an example embodiment of a softwareapplication suitable for interacting with a user to practice and enhancelearning strategies and skills presented in an on-line educationalcourse. Although the present invention will be described with referenceto an illustrative embodiment shown in the figures, those skilled in theart will appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in anumber of different applications and embodiments and is not specificallylimited in its application to the particular embodiment depicted herein.

The software application of the illustrative embodiment provides amechanism by which a provider of a computer based learning (Web or localhost) can assist a student on developing and enhancing his learningstrategies and skills. A “computer based learning (Web or local host)”is an organization that provides instruction and practice of skills overa wired and/or wireless communication network, such as the Internet, anintranet, an extranet, a local area network (LAN) and a wide areanetwork (WAN), and other networks enabling communication amongcomputers. Also, the provision can be made within a personal compute,for example, trough a CD ROM or other magnetic, electronic or magneticdevice. An on-line network learning centre maintains a server having adomain name associated with the learning centre. Administrators of thelearning centre develop, create, edit and/or administer an on-lineeducational course. An “on-line educational course” is curriculum, suchas a training course for a new technology that is delivered to a studentover a wired and/or wireless communication network as described above.Course material in the on-line educational course may consist of manyunits or chapters and may include text, graphics, sound, movies andexercises to be performed by the student. Through the use of thesoftware application, an interactive graphic organizer software tool,the student can practice learning strategies and skills. The interactivesoftware tool provides the student the construction of a personalisedgraphic organized with as many shapes connectors and its contents.

As used herein the term “shape” refers to a pre design graphical form,of which the student may include up to a predetermined number. The term“connector” as used herein refers to predetermined lines that associateshapes.

The present invention can be implemented in an on-line learningmanagement system. The management system may provide on-lineopportunities for students to register in educational courses pertainingto any number of different subject areas, use the information presentedin the course and practice learning strategies and skills through theincluded interactive graphic organizers. To view and use the interactivegraphic organizers, it is needed a browser (MS Explorer, MozillaFirefox, Netscape and others) and the flash plug-in for the browser. Theinteractive graphic organizers can also be used in a stand alonefashion; that is, each can individually be called to a computer screenthrough Flash Player, freely distributed software.

Flash, refers to both the Adobe Flash Player and to a multimediaauthoring program used to create content for the Adobe EngagementPlatform (such as web applications, games and movies). The Flash Player,developed and distributed by Adobe Systems is a client applicationavailable in most dominant web browsers. It features support for vectorand raster graphics, a scripting language called Action Script andbidirectional streaming of audio and video.

Strictly speaking, Adobe Flash is an integrated development environment(IDE) while Flash Player is a virtual machine used to run, or parse, theFlash files, but in contemporary colloquial terms “Flash” can refer tothe authoring environment, the player or the application files. Sinceits introduction in 1996, Flash technology has become a popular methodfor adding animation and interactivity to web pages; several softwareproducts, systems, and devices are able to create or display Flash.Flash is commonly used to: create animation, advertisements, variousweb-page components, integrate video into web pages, and more recently,develop Rich Internet Applications like portals.

The Flash files, traditionally called “flash movies”, usually have a.swf (Small Web File) file extension and may be an object of a web pageor strictly “played” in the standalone Flash Player.

ActionScript is an ECMA (Sun Microsystems standard) script-basedprogramming language used for scripting Adobe Flash movies andapplications. Since both ActionScript and JavaScript are based on thesame ECMAScript syntax, fluency in one theoretically translates easilyto the other. However, while JavaScript's DOM (document object model) isbrowser window, document and form centric, the ActionScript DOM is moviecentric, which may include animations, audio, text and event handling.

To run an ActionScript software tool from a Web site, the developerinserts a .swf application into an HTML document, an XML document or thecode of some type of page description language, which instruct thebrowser to download the appropriate .swf movie from the Web server andthen execute the interactive graphic organizer.

The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is describedrelative to a software tool in the ActionScript programming language.However, the present invention is not limited to the specificembodiment. It should be noted that other languages can have differentforms of a program that perform the same function, and the presentinvention can be used in a programming environment other thanActionScript. Furthermore, the present invention is not specificallylimited to an ActionScript software tool executed from a Web browser,and may be implemented as various types of code modules in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a network 3A suitable forimplementing an on-line educational course and running the interactivesoftware tool of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.The network 3A includes a Web server 3B and a plurality of clientmachines 3C connected to the web server 3B and running an ActionScriptenabled Web browser 3D. The Web server 3B and the client machines 3C areconnected to a network 3A via communications links 3E o 3F. The Webserver 3B includes a database 3G, Small Web Files 3H, and Web pages 3I.The Web browsers 3I on the client machines 3C locate and display Webpages. A Web browser further includes an HTML interpreter 3J.

FIG. 4 is a more detailed block diagram of an exemplary client machine3C. The client machine includes a central processing unit 4A, a keyboard4B enabling a user to enter data into the client machine 3C, a videodisplay screen 4C and a mouse 4D or other pointing device forcontrolling the movement of a cursor or pointer on the display screen4C. The client machine 3C further optionally comprises a networkinterface 4E for connecting the client machine to the Internet, a modem3F for formatting data to be transmitted over telephone lines, coaxialcable, or other communication lines, a decoder 4G for translatingencoded data to its original format and client memory 4H. The memory 4Hcontains Web pages 3I including embedded software tools 3H, AND a Webbrowser 3D.

The client machine 3C can be a personal computer, a workstation, anInternet appliance, a personal digital assistant, a cell phone, aset-top box with attached television, an intelligent pager or a widevariety of other items capable of communicating with a user.

To run the interactive software tool of the illustrative embodiment ofthe present invention, the Web server 3E sends an HTML document with anembedded interactive software tool to a client machine 3C of the network3A. The HTML interpreter then interprets the HTML document. The plug-inin the Web browser executes the interactive software tool and displaysan Interactive Graphical Organizer Interface (IGO) on the video displayscreen 4C of the client 3C. The IGO, which will be described in detailwith reference to FIGS. 5 through 8, displays graphic forms to be filledin by the user who can select different ways to do it.

FIG. 5 a illustrates an interactive graphic organizer user interface(IGO) according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.The illustrated interactive software tool provides users withopportunity to practice learning strategies and skills regardinginformation presented in an on-line tutorial. In FIG. 5 a, a browserillustrates the interactive software tool. The IGO of the illustrationdisplays a difference and similarities diagram. The IGO further includesthe two shapes to enter the objects to be compared 5B y 5C. Although theboxes 5B y 5C are shown as approximately squares having lined bordersand curved corners, many variations of organization of shapes are withinthe scope of the invention, including no borders and other formats(rectangles, circles, cones, vases, and any other geometrical shapes).The user selects one or more differences 5D and one or more similarities5E. By clicking on “Activate delete mode” button 5F similarities ordifferences can be deleted. The IGO includes other function buttons tofacilitate interaction with the user. When a user clicks on a functionbutton, the software tool responds according to particular instructionsstored in the interactive software tool file: 5D—add difference; 5E—addsimilarity; 5F—activate/deactivate delete mode; 5G—new diagram; 5H—savediagram; 5I—open diagram; 5J—print diagram.

The IGO illustrated in FIG. 5 b provides an extension of FIG. 5 a, oncethe add similarity button 5E has been pressed three times and the adddifference button 5D has been pressed five times.

FIG. 6 illustrates some of the tool tips available for the user withinthe interactive graphic organizer. By locating the cursor on thequestion mark a message appears to assist the users with theirinteraction with the software tool. For example by pressing the questionmark next to differences 6A it is displayed the following text: “Whatcharacteristics are presented in different ways in the comparedobjects”. By pressing the question mark next to similarities 6B, it isdisplayed the text: “What characteristics are presented in the same wayin the compared objects”.

FIG. 7 illustrates how the user completes the interactive graphicorganizer by inserting text in the previously added shapes (see FIG. 4b). As the shown example is with the differences and similaritiesinteractive graphic organizer, the following explain the filling in.First the user placed the cursor in the node “Object 1” 7A and enteredthe text “Canada”; then the user placed the cursor in node “Object 2” 7Band entered the text “Chile”; thirdly, the user pressed, three times,the button “Add similarity” 7C and three “enter similarity . . . ” boxesopened, the user entered, in the first box, “Members of a free tradeagreement” 7D; in the second, “Rich in natural resources” 7E, and“Market open economies” 7F in the third. Similarly, the user pressedfive times the button “Add difference” 7G and entered the following fivepairs of differences 7H: “US$35,000 per capita” for the Canada columnand “US$10,500” for the Chile column; 7I: “35,000,000 population” forCanada and “17,000,000 for Chile; 7J “90% lives in the southern 200 km.”for Canada and “40% lives in the centre” for Chile; 7K: “Cold weather”for Canada and “Template weather” for Chile; 7L: “English and Frenchspoken” for Canada and “Spanish spoken” for Chile.

According to the materials previously seen by the user and according tothe illustrative embodiment, there may be more than one correct fillingin of the interactive graphic organizer.

FIG. 8, a variation on FIG. 7, illustrates a possible ill filling of theinteractive software tool. For the purpose of the description,similarities are as in FIG. 7: 7D, 7E and 7F, so are the first two pairsof differences 7H and 7I. However, the user may enter an incorrect pairof differences 8A: “90% lives in the southern 200 km” for Canada and“Spanish spoken” for Chile”; and 8B: blank (“Enter difference” . . . )for Canada and “Moderate weather” for Chile. To avoid this type of illfilling, this particular interactive graphic organizer has thedifferences built in pairs so that the comparing skill can be practiceaccording to the same criterion.

According to one embodiment, 8F in FIG. 8, the interactive software toolprovides facilities for the user to delete shapes or rewrite in themwith the purpose of correctly complete the ill filled graphic.

According to other embodiments, 8G, 8H and 8I in FIG. 8, the interactivesoftware tool permits to create a new diagram, save a diagram and open apreviously saved diagram.

According to the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, theinteractive software tool is embedded in a page within the computerbased course (web or local). The page is an HTML, XML, or other pagedescription language document including a link to the interactivesoftware tool. An HTML file is a hypertext markup language fileconventionally used in creating documents on the World Wide Web orInternet. HTML defines the layout and structure of the file, usingvarious tags and attributes. As discussed, the HTML file used inconjunction with the interactive software tool of the present inventioncan include graphic organizers and reference the containing small webfile.

An example of an HTML fragment suitable for implementation in theillustrative case includes the following code:

<html xmlns=“http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml”>  <head>   <metahttp-equiv=“Content-Type” content=“text/html; charset=iso-8859-1” />  <title>SAMPLE INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER</title>  </head>  <body>  <font size=“4” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif”>SAMPLE  INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER<br />   <br /> &quot;DIFFERENCES &amp;SIMILARITIES&quot;<br />   <br /></font> <font size=“2” face=“Verdana,Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif”>Use   this application to show differencesand similarities between two objects or   concepts. </font>   <objectclassid=“clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000”   codebase=“http://download macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/s   w flash.cab#version=7,0,19,0” width=“640” height=“370”>    <paramname=“movie” value=“DIF_SIM-eng.swf” />    <param name=“quality”value=“high” />    <embed src=“DIF_SIM-eng.swf” quality=“high”    pluginspage=http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer    type=“application/x-shockwave-flash” width =“640” height=“370”>   </embed>   </object>  </body> </html>

This code defines a small web file application embedded in an HTMLdocument. Through the OBJECT tag and the EMBED tag, the swf applicationis inserted into the HTML document. The required attributes needed toinsert the swf application are:

-   CLASSID: Identifies the ActiveX control for the browser. OBJECT    only.-   CODEBASE: Identifies the location of the Flash Player ActiveX    control so that the browser can automatically download it if it is    not already installed. OBJECT only.-   WIDTH: Specifies the width of the movie in either pixels or    percentage of browser window.-   HEIGHT: Specifies the height of the movie in either pixels or    percentage of browser window.-   SRC: Specifies the location (URL) of the movie (swf application) to    be loaded. EMBED only.-   PLUGINSPAGE: Identifies the location of the Flash Player plug-in so    that the user can download it if it is not already installed. EMBED    only.-   MOVIE: Specifies the location (URL) of the movie (swf application)    to be loaded. OBJECT only.

The ActionScript definition file written for the interactive softwaretool (interactive graphic organizer) of the present invention includesthe functions and other parameters which are hidden from the user. Forexample the inclusions or deletions of shapes retain display symmetrywhether the number of shapes is par or odd. A definition file for theinteractive software tool of the illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention may include the following code, which is illustrative of oneembodiment of the invention and is not to be construed in a limitingsense:

function deleteSimilarity(xVar:Number):Void {   if (numberSimilarity>0){     listSimilarity = newLinkedList();     for (yVar=1;yVar<=numberSimilarity; yVar++) {      listSimilarity.insert(this[“similarity”+yVar].text_txt.text);    }     removeMovieClip(this[“similarity”+numberSimilarity]);    removeMovieClip(this[“lineSimilarity”+numberSimilarity]);    numberSimilarity−−;     listSimilarity.deleteEl(xVar);    this.createEmptyMovieClip(“lineSimilarity”+numberSimilarity,    this.getNextHighestDepth());     for (yVar=1;yVar<=numberSimilarity; yVar++) {       yRepos =95–20*(numberSimilarity−1);       yPos = 40*yVar;      this[“similarity”+yVar]._y = yPos+yRepos;      this[“similarity”+yVar]._x = A._x+80;      this[“similarity”+yVar]._deleteme = false;      this[“similarity”+yVar].text_txt.text=listSimilarity.show(yVar).content;      this[“lineSimilarity”+yVar].clear();      this[“lineSimilarity”+yVar].lineStyle(1, 0x00CC00, 100);      this[“lineSimilarity”+yVar].moveTo(B._x−10, B._y+18);      this[“lineSimilarity”+yVar].lineTo(this[“similarity”+yVar]._x+119,      this[“similarity”+yVar]._y+15);      this[“lineSimilarity”+yVar].moveTo(A._x+52, A._y+18);      this[“lineSimilarity”+yVar].lineTo(this[“similarity”+yVar]._x−2,      this[“similarity”+yVar]._y+15);     }   } }

In the example set forth above, the scrip checks the number of insertedshapes and if this number is greater then zero the shape is deleted.Then a list named ListSimilarity is generated, where input text is kept.Next the similarity movie is deleted and so are all associatedconnectors and the similarity counter is lessened. Finally, the othersimilarities are repositioned and their texts are moved to their newpositions. All this provides the effect that an intermediate shaped wasdeleted rather than the last one.

To run an ActionScript software tool from a Web site, the developerinserts a .swf application into an HTML document, an XML document or thecode of some type of page description language, which instruct thebrowser to download the appropriate .swf movie from the Web server andthen execute the interactive graphic organizer.

FIG. 9 illustrates the steps involved for computer based educationalcourse (web or local) developer to incorporate an interactive softwaretool of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention. At somepoint in the educational course, the developer may include aninteractive software tool of the present invention for the practice ofthe user's learning strategies and skills. First, in step 9A, thedeveloper prepares a web page with contents related to the strategy orskill to be practice. Next, in step 9B, the developer makes the link tothe desired interactive graphic organizer. Then the developer shouldupload into a leaning management system and test and verify its properutility.

Otherwise an interactive graphic organizer can be used in a standalonepersonal computer configuration.

These examples are meant to be illustrative and not limiting. Thepresent invention has been described by way of example (more examplesare shown in FIG. 3), and modifications and variations of the exemplaryembodiments will suggest themselves to skilled artisans in this fieldwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, thepresent invention is not limited to an ActionScript software toolexecuted from a Web browser, and can include any program executed fromanother application. The described software tool is not limited toexecution from a pop-up Web page and can be embedded in any suitabledocument code in any suitable programming language.

Features and characteristics of the above-described embodiments may beused in combination. This description is to be construed as illustrativeonly and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art thebest mode for carrying out the invention. The preferred embodiments aremerely illustrative and should not be considered restrictive in any way.Details of the structure may vary substantially without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, and exclusive use of all modifications thatcome within the scope of the appended claims is reserved. It is intendedthat the invention be limited only to the extent required by theappended claims and the applicable rules of law. The scope of theinvention is to be measured by the appended claims, rather than thepreceding description, and all variations and equivalents that fallwithin the range of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

1. In an electronic device that provides a computer based learning environment (web or local host), a method comprising: providing an interactive software tool, wherein the software tool generates a graphical user interface displaying shapes and connectors to practice learning strategies and skills by filling in the various nodes. Shapes and connectors are associated to particular functions that allow the interactive software tool to work as a stand alone software or be easily integrated to larger educational software.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive software tool provides tool tips to the user indicating the expected and correct use.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive software tool permits a predetermined number of nodes for the user to enter a correct completion.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interactive software tool automatically provides a maximum of shapes and connectors so as to have a graphic representation reasonably distributed on the video display.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interactive software tool prevents the user from entering more shapes or connectors than reasonable for the displaying purposes.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive software tool is a “Small Web File”.
 7. In an electronic device that provides a computer based educational course, a method comprising: receiving a request for a Web page at the electronic device from a remote client; and in response to the receiving step, sending a Web page containing an interactive software tool embedded therein to the remote client, wherein the interactive software tool generates an interactive graphical organizer (IGO) including instructions to a user to fill in the shapes provided by the Web page.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the Web page may comprise a page of an on-line educational course.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the Web page including the interactive software tool instructing a user to execute correctly the filling of the graphic forms.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the interactive software tool includes a symmetric display of shapes independently if the number of shapes is even or uneven.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the definition file is separate from a source code for the Web page to prevent a user from viewing the source code.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the instructions are part of the small web file.
 13. A computer-readable medium for use in an electronic device that provides a computer based educational course, comprising instructions for running an interactive software tool for displaying a graphical organizer through shapes and connectors, wherein the users can enter text as a practice of their learning strategies and skills.
 14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions are executable on a virtual machine.
 15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions are stored on a server and downloaded to a local processor of the user.
 16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the medium includes hypertext markup language (HTML) code to reference the interactive software tool.
 17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the HTML code includes the reference to the small web file.
 18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the interactive software tool is a small web file.
 19. An electronic device for providing a computer based (web or local) educational course comprising a processor; a display screen; and memory including a Web page having an interactive software tool embedded therein, wherein the processor executes the interactive software tool to generate a graphical user interface on the display screen, the graphical user interface displaying a specific graphic organizer.
 20. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising a browser for locating and displaying the Web page.
 21. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising a network connection for connecting the electronic device to a computer network.
 22. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising input media to allow the user to enter the answer.
 23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the interactive software tool is a small web file. 